Thursday, August 12, 2021

Book Review - The Paper Palace; Miranda Cowley Heller

 


TITLE/AUTHOR:   The Paper Palace; Miranda Cowley Heller

PUBLISHER:  Penguin Audio

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2021

GENRE: Fiction / Family Life

FORMAT:  eAudio / LENGTH: 12 hours and 37 min.

SOURCE:   (print - library) (audio - publisher download)

SETTING(s):  Cape Cod, MA

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  Can the past be totally forgotten? 

BRIEF REVIEW:     The "Paper Palace" is a summer camp style cottage with paper thin walls located in the back woods of Cape Cod, MA. It's a place for lazy days on the screened-in porch and lots of delightful swims in the fresh water pond. For years Elle Bishop and her family have spent time here each summer ever since she was a child.  It's the place Elle first met Jonas when both were still children and the two developed an immediate connection spending as much time as possible together. It was also a place where something happened that changed things between them.

From the beginning of this book we know that Elle is now married to a good man named Peter and the couple has children. Jonas is also married and also spending another summer on Cape Cod. As both families gather indoors one evening over food and drinks, it's clear Elle and Jonas are still attracted to one another.  After a quick outdoor interlude between Elle and Jonas occurs, Elle, now 50 finds herself rethinking the life choices she has made. Is the dark past she shares with Jonas and how very much he means to her more powerful than the life she and Peter have built?

This book is no summer beach read. The story is dark but, it is beautifully written. There are definite triggers early on: parental neglect and detailed sexual abuse that go back generations.  The setting was lovely and beautifully described, I felt like I could almost smell the musty camp-like smell,  salt air and cool and clear pond water.  There were a lot of irresponsible adults in this story but yet the story worked in so many ways.  The ending may disappoint some readers as it is definitely ambiguous IMO but, I was not disappointed as in the acknowledgements, I thought it was pretty clear how the story ended. Recommended.

Thanks go to Penguin Audio for allowing me access to this book in exchange for my unbiased review. The audio book was read by Nan McNamara who did a great job.

RATING:  4.5/5

26 comments:

  1. I agree. The adults in this story make one bad choice after another and yet I can see why. I felt like the sense of place was so well done. I felt like I was in that camp too. The ending was not to my liking but pretty realistic, I think. Def not a light summer read.

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    1. Yes, you had to feel for the women in this story as is often the case.

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  2. The setting does sound lovely! Though I'd probably prefer a less dark story to go along with it.

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  3. This sounds interesting. My tbr list is long, but I'll add it to read later.

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  4. It does sound like a really well written story!

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  5. I am sure adding this one to my TBR now. Was wondering about it.

    Great review!

    Elza Reads

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  6. I keep hearing great things about this book! I'm going to get it on audio right now. :)

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    1. The audio was good Les and I had the print from the library so switch off a bit and/or went back in a few spots.

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    2. You liked this one better than I did, but it was mainly the subject matter and not the writing that kept it from being a 4 or 5 star rating. I wish I had the print edition to glance at as I was listening. I would have liked to have reread the introductory chapters and then skip to the final chapters to read them all as one narrative.

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  7. I have now read a few really good reviews of this book so it may just have to go on my TBR list. Thank you!

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    1. I was one that I was happy I read Helen. A different kind of story from all the thrillers I tend to be drawn to.

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  8. Although I'm not much of a fan of open-ended novels where I have to decide what was the more likely way things turned out, this one does sound like a good character-driven plot. Definitely one to consider...

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    1. The writing was so good that I didn't mind the ending and if you pay attention to the beginning and something she writes in the acknowledgements, I felt I was clear how it ended.

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  9. This sounds like my cup of tea. I've never heard of this book before, and I wish I read your review before heading to the bookstore this morning! Next trip, I hope.

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  10. I thought the writing in this book was so good! I mentioned that I was a little frustrated by the ending... need to go back and reread the last few pages one more time.

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  11. JoAnn if you reread the beginning and last few pages and then the acknowledgements and something her father once told her about the key to a good story, I felt I knew the ending.

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    1. Thanks, Diane. I just put myself back on the library hold list so I can reread those sections... or maybe I can reread it in a bookstore even sooner.

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  12. I've heard raves about this book but nothing in detail so I was so glad to see this review. It sounds absolutely amazing but maybe darker then I'm looking for. Thanks for sharing!

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  13. It sounds like you thought it very worthwhile even though it's quite a dark story .... I'm curious to read it.

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    1. I liked the writing a lot and I honestly wasn't sure what I getting into when I start it - a couple shockers early on but, glad I read it.

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